"I say, `A.J., when you're good enough in your life that your kids will want to be called A.J. Junior, then we'll talk.'"

Ozzie Jr. isn't sure what he wants to be when he grows up. Maybe an agent ("How hard is it to represent [Albert] Pujols? You just show them the numbers and they go, `Oh, yeah.'") or a general manager ("I want to be the first Hispanic GM to win [a World Series]") or the president of Venezuela (One problem: He was born in Las Vegas).

For now Ozzie Jr. is content to play these roles: student at Columbia College, translator for Sox players, agent for dad on endorsement deals, color analyst for about 30 Spanish-language Sox broadcasts on WRTO-AM 1200 and host of a Sunday night talk show on WSCR-AM 670.

That 10-11 p.m. show, also in Spanish, was created in January by the Score's program director, Mitch Rosen.

"I saw Ozzie and his dad in Houston during the World Series," Rosen recalls, "and said, `I have a crazy idea.'"

Rosen wanted to tap into the booming Hispanic marketplace, and he's doing it with a host who's not afraid to criticize Sox players--or the manager.

"I told the guys, `I'm not going to talk about anything you do off the field, but I will talk about your performance,'" Ozzie Jr. said. "`So if you don't want to get talked bad about, perform well.'"

During a recent lunch, Ozzie Jr. called the Sox the "worst bunting team in baseball," said Freddy Garcia was "horrible" in a June 6 performance against Detroit and called Jon Garland "my dad's black sheep."

"My dad goes, `If we're making this trade, it's for the right reasons.' Because we could have brought Ken Griffey Jr. here or Manny (Ramirez). My dad said, `No, no, no.' My dad loved Aaron. But he said to me, `You can't have emotions [for players]. And I've been in this game longer than you have.'"

And with that, Ozzie Jr. went silent. Temporarily, of course.

Back to work

It was an odd week for Dan McNeil. Rather than drive WMVP-AM 1000's "Mac, Jurko&Harry" show, he attended meetings with frustrated station officials. Rather than gab about his beloved White Sox, he watched World Cup games--and pruned his rose bushes.

McNeil hopes to be back on the air at 3 p.m. Monday with sparring partner Harry Teinowitz. Last Friday, an on-air spat between the two ended their show 80 minutes early.

Childish behavior is one thing, but let's hope Mac and Harry don't play too nice when they return. A little tension is good for the show.

"We both have to continue to be who we are," McNeil said Thursday. "The very essence of talk radio is based on disagreement and differing viewpoints. That can't change and it won't change. Harry will still be the guy who sometimes gets picked on.

"But what absolutely will change is how he and I handle any conflicts publicly because we can't have that anymore and I understand that. I'm really [angry] at myself for letting my aggravation go to the level that it did last Friday. I feel like an addict or alcoholic who relapsed."

Remote patrol

NBC's weekend coverage of the U.S. Open begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Analyst Johnny Miller calls it "the most nervous championship in the world . . . historically there have been some great comebacks. It's even more likely there are going to be some colossal collapses." . . . NBA TV will broadcast a 12-hour marathon of Bulls NBA championship clinchers beginning at 11 a.m. Monday. . . . ESPN's newsy "Outside the Lines" shifts from weeknights to weekdays at 2:30 p.m. beginning July 24. It also will expand from 20 to 30 minutes. . . . ESPN analyst Scottie Pippen is hardly articulate, but at least he's bold. After Dallas crumbled down the stretch in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Pippen said, "You can lay a lot of the blame on (Mavericks coach) Avery Johnson. . . . Dwyane Wade was the one guy they should have focused on." . . . ESPN2's World Cup ratings have doubled since the last tournament in 2002. Monday's United States-vs.-Czech Republic game was seen in 2.14 million homes, making it the network's most-watched soccer telecast ever.

This just in . . .

Former Wisconsin football coach and current athletic director Barry Alvarez recently auditioned for an analyst's job with Fox, which will broadcast four BCS games in January. Alvarez would be a natural for the Rose Bowl, but ABC has those TV rights. . . . Sports trivia geeks--and I mean that in the nicest possible way--can audition for ESPN Classic's "Stump the Schwab" from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday at the ESPN Zone at 43 E. Ohio St. Applications are available online at www.espn.com and should be brought to the casting call. . . . The Rush's ArenaBowl game Sunday on NBC was popular in Chicago, equaling ratings for the French Open men's final earlier in the day. . . . Teinowitz will fill in for the vacationing Tom Waddle at 10 p.m. Sunday on "The Final Word" (WFLD-Ch. 32). Also appearing: Pierzynski and co-host Corey McPherrin.